Agent Undone

by Cassidy Reyne

  The long journey on the quiet Interstate gave her a lot of time to think and her thoughts turned to the time when she’d gone to Virginia to have her new life created for her.

  It had been a long drive from Texas, and she’d pushed herself hard, only stopping for food and rest when it was absolutely necessary. By the time she’d reached Virginia, her nerves were frazzled and she had tried to not get her hopes up. That was hard, though, as a new identity would allow her to rent a place somewhere, sign up for medical care, buy a better car and most importantly be able to get a job. But for all of that she needed a social security number and she also had to get a new license from the DMV in whichever state she decided to settle.

  The FBI man had been very friendly, but cautious. What he was doing wasn’t legal, but he had the informal blessing of his former boss. He wouldn’t take any money and just asked that she paid the favor forward when she was out of danger and living a safe and happy life. Before he’d agreed to get the ID papers, he checked out her story as far as he was able to without raising any flags. She remembered that day so clearly. She’d stood outside his front door, shaking and sweating, but the need for survival was stronger and she’d lifted her hand to knock on the door.

  “Hello, my dear. What can I do for you?” the older man who opened the door smiled kindly at her.

  “Uhm, I was told you can arrange papers? For women — or people, I guess — who need it.” Madison had chewed on her lip as she tried to look confident. His scrutinizing gaze seemed to bore into her soul and she didn’t know if it would hold up to his standards.

  “Come on in and we’ll have a chat, shall we?” The gentleman turned and walked ahead of her into the spacious Arlington house. Madison stepped into a neat and tidy living room, and the man waved for her to sit down. She sank onto the couch and sat with her back straight and her hands folded in her lap. Her eyes flicked around the room trying to find all the exits, but there seemed to be just the one behind her. Beyond the living room, she had glimpsed a kitchen, but that was all she could see.

  “Would you like a drink? Water, coffee or iced tea?” He gestured towards the kitchen.

  “No. No, thanks, I’m good.” She smiled back, feeling the nerves causing her hands to shake.

  “There’s no need to be nervous. You’re safe here. My name is Charles, by the way.”

  “Thank you, I must admit I’ve never done anything like this before.” Her voice was shaky, and she had to clear her throat to get the words out.

  “No, I don’t imagine you have. Why don’t you tell me your story and we’ll take it from there?”

  Madison took a deep breath and told her story from the very beginning. Charles made notes on a pad as she went on. She could see the frown on his forehead when she got to the worst parts. Once she’d finished she felt drained. She’d never told anyone the full story. Parts of it, yes, but never the whole thing from the very start, and even now she held back details of the girls and the drugs as she didn’t want to implicate herself. After she’d finished, he asked her a few clarifying questions and then went and sat down at his computer in the corner of the room. Madison felt as if her mind had been drained from every single thought and just sat staring out of the window until Charles came back to her.

  “Right, well, I’ve made a few enquiries, as I’m sure you can understand, and as long as everything comes back ok you will have your papers in a couple of days. Have you got anywhere to stay for the night? I can call a nearby shelter if you like?”

  Charles had made all the arrangements and two days later she walked away from his house with her new identity and a brand new life in front of her. From then on, she was Madison Ward, and no one would take that away from her.

  After stopping in a small town about halfway to Atlanta to have a late breakfast, she got back in her car and drove the rest of the way. Every time she visited, she was struck by how large the city was. It wasn’t quite as big as Seattle, but compared to tiny Port St. George it was enormous. It always made her a little uncomfortable having so many people, cars and buildings right on top of her, but going there was necessary, so she gritted her teeth and got on with it.

  Reaching the city just before lunchtime, Madison headed straight to her hotel to check in. The room was spacious and clean with a nice bathroom, and it contained everything she needed. As she was only staying two nights, she didn’t bother unpacking the few things she’d brought, but took out her washbag and placed it on the vanity. Feeling dusty and a bit tired after the journey, she took a quick shower and then grabbed a power nap on the comfortable bed. An alarm woke her in time to get to the meeting with her editor a few blocks away from where she was staying. A quick brush of her hair and a light touch up of her makeup was all she needed before sitting down with her laptop to give her articles a last polish. All her resources were in a folder for the editor to look at, as well as the audio file with the interview with Lisa, the woman who had escaped her ex, so the legal team could check it out. They needed to make sure they weren’t disclosing sensitive information or anything that could cause problems further down the line. In all these articles, the women’s identities were withheld, and every effort was made to make sure the abusive partner could not find out where they were hiding. Most of the women she interviewed had been hurt by their husbands or boyfriends, but there were also those who had fled from girlfriends or wives. Madison had found several instances where men had been abused by a female partner, and one where the husband had been the perpetrator. Victims of abuse came from all walks of life and wasn’t limited to men hurting women. It was the most common form of abuse, but part of the reason for that was that not all of it was being reported. A man being hurt by his wife, or husband, often felt too ashamed to come forward and report it. There was also a lot less help available for them in forms of shelters and people to talk to. Madison hoped her articles could encourage more victims feel confident about asking for help and put a stop to their suffering.

  The meeting turned out very successful and once finished, she found a small hole-in-the-wall tapas place and enjoyed an early dinner to celebrate before returning to the hotel. As the weather was warm and sunny she’d walked the short distance to the meeting and took her time walking back. After sitting down in the car for so long, it felt good to stretch her legs and feel the sun on her face.

  Despite enjoying the weather and the fresh air, before too long, being out in the open in a large town made her anxiety rise and she felt the need to return to safety. When she reached the front doors of the hotel she drew a small sigh of relief as a feeling of security and comfort enveloped her like a warm blanket. She spent the rest of the evening in her room, reading, and preparing for the two meetings she had the following day. The articles she wrote for those two magazines were a bit different. She focused more on legislation, politicians’ promises, and the access to help in different states across the country. She spent many hours every week reading about the services offered and improvements being made to look after those that sought help.

  Madison decided on a hot bubble bath to help her unwind after the long drive and the meeting. She sank down in the steaming water and leaned back in the tub. Closing her eyes and allowing her mind to wander, her thoughts turned to Carter and how he had snuck into her life without her realizing. She’d really enjoyed their early morning runs along the beach and she’d had a great time with him in the village. Despite her deep-seated wariness of men, in the short time they’d spent together he had somehow managed to make her feel safe and comfortable. She had no idea what it was about him, but for the first time in forever she was enjoying a man’s company without any fear of it escalating into a power struggle where she was always the loser.

  The heat from the water seeped into her muscles and she could feel the tension loosening up and draining away. By the time the water cooled, she felt a bit like a prune, and toweled off before putting on a t-shirt and a pair of pajama bottoms to sleep in. Curled up under the covers with her boo
k she started to read, but only managed a few pages before her eyes were closing and she switched off the bedside light. Soon, she was fast asleep and oblivious to the world around her. Sometime during the early hours of the morning, her nightmares returned. She tossed and turned, caught in her terrifying visions. The sheets that were twisted around her body only heightened the sense of being trapped. Her only relief came when a new face appeared. All she could see was a lopsided grin and a pair of intensely blue eyes, but it made her feel safe. She tried to hold onto those eyes and that smile, but they faded away and she was back in her nightmare again.

  Madison woke with a start. Her heart was beating at a frantic pace, her breath coming in ragged puffs, and her body was covered in sweat from her fear induced dreams. She clutched the sheets to her chest and tried to slow down her breathing enough to get air into her lungs. She was close to hyperventilating and knew she needed to calm down. It was just a bad dream. It wasn’t the first time, and definitely wouldn’t be the last. Once she’d gotten herself under control, she got up and stripped out of her sweat soaked night wear and took a quick shower. The spray felt soothing and by the time she was done, she was ready to get back into bed and try to get some more sleep.

  The rest of the night went by without any more dreams and she didn’t open her eyes until her alarm sounded and felt if not refreshed, at least rested.

  The day passed uneventfully with two long but productive meetings with her other editors. They were happy with what she’d come up with, and one of them wanted a whole series of interviews with follow ups on the outcome of court cases, policy changes and any extra funding. The idea was to look at all the fifty states one at a time and do a summarized comparison in the final article. Madison was blown away by the interest and was excited to get started. Her only condition was that she did everything via online interviews, which the magazine had agreed to. It had worked so far and they had no reason to change it. Madison walked out of the last meeting with a spring in her step and was eager to get back to Florida and make a start on planning the series. She would stay one more night and then visit a clinic in the morning for a check-up. She wanted to be on the road back to the cottage by lunchtime so she could take it easy and stop on en route.

  The following morning, she was up early to pack her small case and check out from the hotel, and then made her way to the clinic a couple of miles from her location. She found a place to park only a block away and walked the last bit.

  The clinic was held in a rundown building but seemed clean and well supported. It was a women-only place and already several were waiting to be seen. There were four young girls on their own, all looking nervous and ready to bolt. Three had a recent runaway look about them, and the fourth seemed to have been homeless for some time. There were also five older women sitting on the plastic chairs, ranging in age from mid-thirties to somewhere in their sixties. One had bruises on her arms and face and flinched every time a door slammed, or a voice was heard from outside. She was well dressed, had a nice haircut and flawless polished nails. Madison could see the fear and shame in her eyes and wanted to tell her it would be ok. All she needed to do was ask for help. She knew she couldn’t do it, though. It could cause the woman to run straight back to whoever had hurt her, and it would be even longer before she received any medical help. Madison took slow, deep breaths to steady herself and push back the anger that threatened to fill in her chest. When her name was called, she rose and went into the examination room without casting another glance at the nervous woman.

  “We’re all done, Ms Ward. Everything seems fine and assuming the blood tests come back negative, which I’m sure they will, you won’t need to see a doctor till your next check-up. Of course, if anything happens in the meantime, or you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Call this number in a week’s time for your results.” The doctor gave her a card with a telephone number on it. She was a small woman with dark skin, a bright smile and a calm and positive manner about her.

  “Thank you, that’s very reassuring even if I didn’t think there was anything wrong with me.” Madison stood up and straightened her clothes. The doctor smiled and gave her some information on multi vitamins and a leaflet with contact numbers for other departments at the clinic in case she needed them.

  Madison made a mental note to contact the doctor in the future for her articles about the work that she and her colleagues did at the clinic. With a smile of thanks to the receptionist, she pushed open the door to the outside and breathed a sigh of relief. That was the last thing on her list of things to do and she was now free to return to her sanctuary by the beach.

  She started walking down the street towards where she had parked her car but something made her feel uneasy. It felt as if someone was watching her. She tried to shake off the feeling, but it persisted. Casting a furtive glance around her revealed nothing amiss, yet the unease rose steadily. You are paranoid. Just get back to the car and go home, she scolded herself. To be on the safe side and humor her suspicious nature which had kept her safe so far, she took a few evasive maneuvers she had learned off a tv program a couple of years ago. She weaved in and out of the foot traffic on the sidewalk, removed her jacket and pulled her hair up in a messy ponytail. As soon as she reached her car, she threw herself behind the wheel and pulled out onto the street on squealing tires. She was lucky the traffic was light and it didn’t take long before she was on the Interstate heading south. Her foot never came off the gas until she was almost 200 miles from Atlanta and pulled into a diner for a late lunch. She was still feeling a bit stressed from earlier but forced herself to slow down. She was just being silly, she knew, but had learned many years ago to not dismiss these feelings altogether.

  Several hours later, a deep sense of relief settled in her belly as she saw the first road signs for Port St. George. She finally pulled up outside her house and inhaled deeply of the salty ocean breeze. A sudden urge to walk over to Carter’s house almost had her walking in that direction, but she quickly quashed the idea. He wasn’t expecting her and might have someone over for company. The thought of him having spent the last couple of days — or nights — with another woman filled her with dread, but she pushed the feelings aside. He was not in any way committed to her and had every right to spend his time however, and with whomever, he chose. She could only hope he turned up in the morning for their usual run. If he didn’t, well, she would still run and not worry about it.

  Hugo Tanz had been hanging around the women’s clinic for a couple of hours and had seen four young girls that were potential targets. None of them had come out yet, but he had a couple of his guys in a van just fifty yards down the road who would follow them as they left and attempt to find a place where they could grab them and give them a sedative. It had to be secluded, but these kids weren’t exactly the type to walk down the street and window shop. They were more likely to scurry through the alleyways in search of shelter. In his mind he went over his plan to find himself a piece of young meat to have some fun with later that evening. He wasn’t above doing it in a back alley, but the risk of being spotted by the cops was obviously higher and took away from the pleasure of banging some tender flesh. The police had an annoying habit of wanting to stop men like him who, quite frankly, just exercised their rights as the dominant species. As far as he was concerned, women’s only function in life was to please men. Any man.

  The honk of a car horn pulled him out of his thoughts, and he returned his attention to the job at hand. He tried to keep in the shadows of a doorway, but with the sun rising higher he would soon be in full view. Just as he was about to find a different spot to observe from, a woman stepping out from the clinic drew his attention. At first, he wasn’t sure what he was seeing and rubbed his eyes in disbelief, but it was her. She was here in Atlanta, and as far as he could tell she was on her own. A sneer spread across his face as the woman turned down the sidewalk and started walking away from him. Oh no, she was not going to get away that easily. Foll
owing her from a few hundred feet away, it soon proved difficult to keep her in sight. He managed to stay on her tail until she jumped in a car and drove off in a hurry. Fuck! He swore out loud. At least he’d managed to get most of the license plate. It was only the first letter or number he hadn’t been able to make out. He also wasn’t sure what state they were issued in, but that wouldn’t be hard to figure out. Watching the taillights fade into the distance, he pulled his cell from his backpocket.

  “Hey boss. You’ll never guess who I spotted today.”

  “What the fuck, Hugo? Do you know what time it is? This had better be good or I will have your balls cut off and stuffed down your throat!” A raspy voice growled on the other end.

  “Sorry, boss, but you will want to hear this. I found her. She’s here in Atlanta.”

  “Who the fuck are you— ? Are you serious? Don’t fuck with me, Hugo, you will regret it.”

  “I’m not fucking with you, boss. She was right here, only a couple of minutes ago.” Hugo couldn’t contain the glee in his voice. The boss was sure to reward him now.

  “Listen to me, you piece of shit. Do. Not. Come. Back. Without her. You hear me?” A click in his ear told Hugo the boss had put the phone down the way he usually did. A smirk pulled at his lips and he returned to the van to start searching for his quarry. He loved the hunt, and this would be the best one yet. That bitch had no idea what was about to happen to her, and he would be the one orchestrating the whole show.